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Sebastian Ruth

Sebastian Ruth is a violinist and music educator. He is the founder of Community MusicWorks, an after-school program in Providence, Rhode Island with a mission to create a cohesive urban community through music education and performance that transforms the lives of children, families, and musicians. Members of the Providence String Quartet teach music to elementary and high school students, lead them in performances, provide mentoring, and take them beyond their neighborhoods on field trips to hear classical music.

Community MusicWorks reflects the teachings of Maxine Greene, who encouraged experiential learning and participation in the arts as a way of making sense of the world, and Paulo Freire who promoted informal, dialogue-based education. As Sebastian puts it, “Just because a kid is growing up in an environment of limited circumstances doesn’t mean they can’t be citizens of the world.”

Sebastian is a founding member of the Providence String Quartet, a former member of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, and part of the Yale School of Music faculty. In 2010, he was selected by the MacArthur Fellows Program (the “Genius Award”), and received a National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award.